Lunch Lessons

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Just as I'm preparing to send my soon-to-be first grader back to school, I read an article in the LA Times about the most popular foods kids are eating in the cafeteria as well as the top ones being sent from home.

Here's what the NPD Group, a consumer research company, found among kids ages 6 to 12.

It was a thrill to see fruit, veggies, and milk on both lists since these foods provide nutrients that tend to be lacking in children's diets. And despite the fact that the school lunch list has items like pizza, cookies and French fries, it may surprise you to learn that foods served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are required to meet nutrition guidelines for calories, fat, protein, and certain key nutrients. I've also seen research showing that meals served under the NSLP provide three times as many dairy products, twice as much fruit, and seven times the amount of vegetables as lunches brought from home, which provided three times as many snack items--and based on these lists, it does look like mom is packing more snacks for her kids than they are getting at school.

So what are the lunch lessons here? For one, school lunch is an affordable and nutritious option--and one that keeps improving as school nutrition is top of mind of the Obama administration.

If you'd prefer to pack lunch, limit the salty snacks (like chips), cookies, and fruit snacks. (Read my previous posting about fruit snacks to learn more about them.) Most of these munchies don't offer enough of what kids need, like fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc., but overdose them on stuff like salt and sugar. If you're looking for snack ideas, check out our recent review of after-school snacks (also fine for toting to school), which involved evaluating over 50 packaged foods from a nutrition standpoint and letting kid taste testers choose their favorites.
We also have plenty of foolproof, kid-friendly recipes that you can toss in your child's lunchbox.
Just remember to send him or her off with produce, too.

And if you want to know how to keep their lunch at a safe temperature, check out our review of lunchboxes.

Meanwhile, as much as I know about how to pack a healthy lunch, I have found that the biggest lesson in all of this--at least for me--is that no matter what you pack your child, it doesn't prevent him or her from sharing, trading, or tossing. When I'm packing lunch for my son, I try to include him in the decision making process (say, by asking him if he wants snow peas or red peppers today), which goes a long way toward getting him to eat his meal. I also find pinky promises are helpful! If you have tips on how to get your school-aged child to eat their lunch, please share. I'm always up for ideas!